Cooling device for food cabinets



March 10, 193 L s. M. DUNLAP 1,795,644

COOLING DEVICE FOR FOOD CABINETS Filed Sept.

Patented Mar. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SYITVESTER M. DUNLAP, F DES MOINES, IOWA, SSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO C. I-I. DAY, OF KELLOGG, IOWA COOLING DEVICE FOR FOOD CABINETS Application filed September 23, 1929. Serial No. 394,512.

the well as the air is passed through the same and through the food cabinet is utilized to reduce the temperature of the circulating air, and to provide in connection therewith means tor automatically circulating said air.

A further object is to provide in connection with that type of device for reducing the temperature of air within a food chamber, employing a sunken well and means for circulating air through said well and through said food chamber, improved means whereby the temperature ot the circulating air may be further reduced by supplying cold water to a suitable container within the air passages.

AAnother object is to provide in connection with that type ot a device employed :tor reducing the temperature ot the air within a food cabinet, in which is included a sunken well and means for circulating air through the well and the food cabinet, whereby the evaporation of the moisture within the well reduces the temperature of the circulating air, improved means whereby the moisture is artilicially supplied to the well when the natural source of moisture is cut ott.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contc-mplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved device, illustrating the manner in which a food cabinet is applied to a building, which is also in section.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the ood cabinet.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken ou the line 3 3 ot Figure 1.

- Figure Ll is an enlarged detail view of the valve mechanism used in connection with the water supply tank.

Referring to the accompanying drawings I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate a building in which a food cab-inet 1l is mounted. Said cabinet is provided with a toed chamber 12 and suitable doors 13 and 11i through which food may be placed in the cabinet. The cabinet is also provided with suitable shelves 15 having openings 16 through which air may circulate.

vThe cabinet is provided with a layer ot heat insulating material 17. The inner sur- Atace ot the cabinet is provided with a sheet metal wall 18 which may be finished in enamel or other rust resisting material.

The upper end ot the cabinet 11 is provided with an opening 19 in which is mounted a pipe 20. IThe upper end of the pipe 2O is provided with a suitable hood 21. The pipe 2O and the hood 21 are preferably mounted adjacent to the roof of the building 10 in such a manner that air circulating past the upper end of the pipe 20 will crea-te a suction in said pipe, causing the air within the food cabinet to be drawn through an inlet opening 22 in the bottom of the cabinet. Said inlet opening 22 is provided with a pipe extend` ing into the ground 2l and comnuinicatiugl with one end of an air tank 25. The opposite end of the air tank 25 is connected with the lower end of a well 26 by means ot a suitable pipe 27. The well 26 has a wall 28 formed ot brick or other porous material, whereby mois-A ture from the surrounding ground will be drawn to the inner surface of the wall by capillary attraction.

By this arrangement it will be seen that upward movement ot the air currents in the pipe 2O will be caused to be moved downwardly through the well 26 through the pipe 27, the tank 25 and the pipe 23. The movement of the air through the well 26 will cause the moisture collected on the inner surface ot the well 28 to be evaporated, causing the temperature of the circulating air to be re- Cil duced, and the temperature in the interior ot the food chamber also reduced.

It sometimes happens that duringl dry seasons the ground surroundingl the well becomes dry, in which case the moisture supplied to the wall 28 ceases and consequently reduction of the temperature of the air within the food chamber also ceases. To overcome this dilliculty l have mounted in the air chamber 25 a water tank Q9 considerably smaller in diameter than the air chamber, to permit air movingl through the air tank to pass around the water tank. whereby the temperature ot the air will be reduced. Suitable brackets 30 are provided tor supporting the tank 29.

A pipe 31 is provided havingits lower end connected to the tank 29 and its upper end projecting upwardly through the upper surtace ot the ground. Said pipe provides means whereby 'ater may be supplied to the tank 29. The tank 29 is also provided with an outlet pipe 32 which extends through the walls of the tank 5 terminatingat a point adjacent to the well QG. A valve 5:3 is provided for the pipe 39, said valve being mounted on a lever 34. connected to the end ot the tank 29 by a pivot 35. T he tree end of the lever Set has a wire or rod 36 which extends upwardly through the pipe 3l having' its upper end secured to a cap 3T.

It will readily be seen that the water within the tank 29 will become warmed to the temperature of the incoming air, at which time it desirable to discharge the Water through the pipe 32 by simply elevating the cap 3T, which will cause the tree end of the lever 34; to be elevated and the valve 33 lifted from the pipe S32. The water will then be discharged into the ground adjacent to the lower end oi the we l QS, and a portion otl the discharged water will then be drawn through the wall ot the well by capillary attractimi. and will assist in cooling the circulation of air to the well by evaporation in the. manner above described.

A suitable cover 38 may be provided Yl'or the well Q6, said cover being spaced above the upper end ot the wall Q8 by suitable brackets Slt), \\herel air will be permitted to enter the `vvell through suitable openings 40. The cover 3S prevents the well from becoming` tilled with trash and foreign substances. The cover 38 should be detachably mounted so that the well may be claned when necessary. n

Thus it will be seen that l. have provided a cooliirg` device tor tood cabinets ot simple, durable and inexpensive construction, in which all mecluuiically operated mechanism is eliminated, and in which the cooling ot the food cabinet may take place at comparatively no expense to the. owner, and requires little or no attention,

l claim as my invent-ion:

l. In conllfiination. a tood cabinet, an air wel] in the ground having a porous lining'. an air tank supported under the ground and in commnnication with said air well and said food cabinet, a water tank in said air tank. a supply pipe tor said water tank, an outlet pipe tor said water tank, a valve tor said outlet pipe. and means lor actuating;` said valve Ytrom a point above the ground surt'acc.

2. tood cal'iinet. an air well in the 2around having;l a porous wall, an air tank communicating' with the lower end ot said air well. a water tank within said air tank, a suppl;v pipe l'or seid water tank havingl one end cxtendingv upwardly tlufough the upper surliace ot the wall, an outlet pipe tor said water tank, a valve tor said outlet pipe, a lever tor movingY said valve to open and close said outlet pipe, a wire connecltal to one end ol said lever and evtending` upwardly through said supply pipe and terminating' beyond its upper end. and means tor circulatingg' air through said well. said air tank and said t'ood cabinet.

il. ln combination, a food cabinet, an air well, an air tank supported under the ground and in comn'iunication with said air well and said food cabinet, a water tank in said air tank, a supply pipe tor said Water tank, an outlet pipe for said water tank, and a valve for said outlet pipe.

ln combination a tood cabinet, an air well, an air tank supported under the ground and in communication with said air well and said food cabinet, a water tank in said air tank, a supply pipe for said water ank. an out-let pipe for said water tank, and a valve :tor said outlet pipe, the discharge end ot' said outlet pipe terminatingl in the ground near the lower end ot said well.

SYLVESTER M. DUNLAP. 

